Mortise lock having adjustable face plate

ABSTRACT

A mortise lock including adjustment means permitting the face plate to be fixed in relation to the lock casing in three selected positions, notably, square, right hand bevel and left hand bevel.

[ 1 Mar. 28, 1972 United States Patent Sendrowski et al.

......292/337 Eads...........................H...........70/45l 664,422 l2/l900 Moore 8 um mm 0 5 566 www WWW 969 823 764 990 223 w my MN 5 E m T M mm IL ws um m H am K L. m 8.0 L m B da EA EJ ET TS m RU m J n D v MA m M H U U [73] Assignee: ILCO Corporation, Fitchburg, Mass. Primary Examiner A|ben 6 Craig, Jr

[22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1970 Attorney-Mark T. Basseches and Paula T. Basseches ABSTRACT A mortise lock including adjustment means permitting the [21] Appl. No.:

face plate to be fixed in relation to the lock casing in three selected positions, notably, square, right hand bevel and left hand bevel.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS PATENTEDMAR28 [972 3,651,673

SHEET 1 BF 2 INVIIN'I'OICS EDWAR SENDROWSKI JACOB MAKI ATTORNEY PATENTEDHARZB r972 3,651,673

SHEET 2 [IF 2 INVENI'ORS EDWARD J. SENDROWSKI JACOB K. MAKI ATTORNEY MORTISE LOCK HAVING ADJUSTABLE FACE PLATE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention is in the field of mortise locks, and more particularly mortise locks which are adapted to be attached to doors which are beveled in either a right hand or left hand direction or are flush.

2. The Prior Art As is well known in the lock field, it is conventional to provide a door and door frame with complementary bevels to permit the door to be opened without providing undue clearance. It will be understood that the bevel permits the edge portion of the door and the door frame to be disposed in intimately mated position and yet permit the door to swing open without interference between the trailing surface of the door edge and the frame.

It is conventional in mortise locks of the type described to provide an adjustment mechanism which permits the face plate of the lock (which will ultimately be mounted flush with the door edge) to be tilted relative to the lock so as to lie flush with the edge surface of the door regardless of whether the door is the right hand or left hand bevel type or is square. By permitting such tiltability, the necessity for stocking mortise locks for each type of situation encountered is obviated. Mortise locks having tiltable faces have been known for many years. See, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 166,797.

Various other systems for providing the desired adjustability have been suggested, there being mentioned, by way of example, the lock assemblies shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 332,849, 891,449, 997,074, l003,956, 2497,189, 2655,030, 2980,463, 2996,326, and perhaps others. Such known face plate adjustment constructions have, however, suffered from one or more drawbacks.

Most of the systems pivotally attach the face plate to the lock casing for movement about a pivot axis which is displaced a substantial distance from the plane of the face plate itself. In such constructions, by reason of the lever arm between the pivot point and the face plate, it will be seen that pivoting of the face plate is accompanied by a substantial lateral movement of the plate relative to the casing. Since the face plate is provided with apertures through which the latch bolt or bolts pass, considerable clearances in excess of the clearances required for reciprocation of the latch bolts must be provided to compensate for the lateral movement resulting from adjustments. Thus, where lever arm connections are used, the lock has an unattractive appearance by reason of the additional clearances between the bolts and the face plate.

In other units it is suggested that the entire face plate may be tapered in cross section and inverted to accommodate the plate for right hand or left hand beveled doors. Such constructions present the obvious disadvantage that they cannot be accommodated to flush door edges and require the provision of separate face plates for such use. Further, where two latch bolts are employed, i.e., the standard bolt and a dead locking bolt, it is obvious that to permit the inversion of the plate, the lock must be so constructed as to be symmetrical about a horizontal axis, mandating that the holes for the latch bolt and the dead locking bolt be of the same size.

The other proposed constructions for solving the problem fail, in many instances, to provide a positive positioning of the face plate, especially when the same is to be used on a flush door. Additionally, adjustment of the face plate relative to the mortise lock is an involved procedure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention may be summarized as relating to a mortise type lock assembly having an adjustable face plate selectively and positively positionable in any one of three orientations relative to the lock casing, namely, for right hand and left hand beveled and square edged doors. The device is characterized by the absence of any magnifying lever arm interposed between the face plate and the pivot axis therefor. Instead, the

face plate is pivoted about an axis extending through the plate, eliminating the requirement of providing greatly enlarged clearance apertures.

The device is further characterized by a pair of tabs interposed between the end portion of the lock casing and the face plate or plates, which tabs may be pivoted between three selected positions. The tabs are tapered in longitudinal section and are provided with apertures so as to permit the threaded members which hold the face plates to the lock casing also to pass through the tabs. It will thus be appreciated that the threaded plate attachment members press the face plates toward the casing, clamping the tabs between the casing and the plate.

In view of the tapered nature of the tabs or lugs, it will be understood that the plate will be angularly related to the easing in one or another direction, depending upon whether the fixed portion of the tabs or lugs is located to one or the other side of the longitudinal center line of the lock. The front or outermost faces of the tabs or lugs are flat and, thus, when such faces are aligned with the center line (rather than being to one or the other side thereof) and the face plates are then clamped against the lock casing, it will be understood that the plates will be positively maintained in a parallel relation to the face of the casing.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a mortise lock having an improved means for adjusting the face plate or plates so as to permit the lock to be used in right hand or left hand beveled doors or on square edged doors.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the class described wherein the plates are positively held in one of the three desired positions.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the class described in which the adjustment may be effected without a complete disassembly of the face plate from the lock 1 assembly.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, we make reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door and door frame to which a mortise lock in accordance with the invention has been applied;

FIG. 2 is a magnified section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a mortise lock in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 is an essentially conventional mortise lock. Since mortise locks per se are well known, details of the lock structure have been omitted from the drawing for purposes of clarity, except to the extent necessary for an understanding of the invention.

The casing 10 includes a front face portion 11 through which extend one or more locking elements, such as the latch bolt 12 and the dead bolt 13. It will be understood that the operation of the bolts 12 and 13 is controlled by conventional bolt operating mechanisms, which form no part of the present invention.

The front face 11 of the lock casing is provided with upper and lower threaded anchor bores l4, 15, which anchor bores have their axes parallel to the axis of reciprocation of the bolts 12 and 13. It will be understood that the area of the face plate 11 surrounding the bores 14 and 15 is substantially planar, being disposed perpendicular to the axes of reciprocation of the bolts.

16 is an armor plate which is adapted to be secured over the face 11 of the lock casing. The armor plate 16 is provided with bolt apertures 17 and 18 to permit the passage therethrough of the latch and dead bolts l2, 13, respectively. Additionally, the plate 16 is provided with upper and lower countersunk attachment apertures 19 and 20, spaced to register with the anchor bores 14, 15, respectively.

Armor plate 16, in addition, is provided with upper and lower face plate mounting apertures 21 and 22. A pair of machine screws 23 and 24 is provided for securing the armor plate 16 over the face 11 ofthe casing 10.

The angular adjustment of the armor plate 16 relative to the casing is effected by interposing a pair of adjustment lugs 25, 25' between the innermost surface of the armor plate and portions of the face 11 of the lock casing surrounding the anchor bores l4, 15. The adjustment lugs, as best seen from FIGS. 2 and 4, include a tapered body portion 26 having a central aperture 27 and a generally flat tab portion 28. The thickness of the tab 28 is preferably substantially the same as the thickest part of the tapered body portion 26.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that with the attachment screws 23, 24 passed through the apertures 27, 27 in the adjustment lugs 25, 25 and threaded into the anchor bores 14, 15, the angular relation of the armor plate 16 relative to a plane passing through the axis of reciprocation of the latch bolts will depend upon the position of the lugs 25, 25. Thus, if the tab portions of the lugs are to one side of the noted plane, the armor plate 16 will be disposed in a first angularly related position relative to the face of the lock casing and will thus be parallel with the edge portion of a door which has been beveled at such angle.

It will be readily recognized that if the tabs 28, 28 of the lugs 25, 25' are shifted through an arc of I80 before tightening of the bolts 23, 24, the face plate will be oppositely angled.

If it is desired to mount the mortise lock in a flush door, i.e., in a door in which the edge portion is at a 90 angle relative to the plane of the door faces, it is merely necessary to tighten the screws 23, 24 when the lugs are in a vertical position, i.e., 90 offset from the position shown in FIG. 4.

It will be further observed that in any of the three noted positions, a positive orientation of the armor plate relative to the casing is achieved.

Assembly of the lock is completed by attaching a face or finishing plate 29 to the armor plate 16. The plate 29 is provided with apertures 30, 31 for passage of the bolts 12 and 13, respectively, and with attachment apertures 32, 33 for the upper and lower attachment screws 34, 35, respectively. Since the plates, by reason of their configuration, must always be parallel, it will be evident that the angular relation of the face plate relative to the lock will be determined by the angle of the armor plate.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the position of the lock assembly when affixed to a beveled door is shown. In these views, 36 represents a strike plate mounted in complementally beveled jamb face 37 ofa door frame 38.

It will be understood that the door, installed in the manner shown in FIG. 2, may be opened only a clockwise or upward pivotal movement when viewed in the orientation of FIG. 2.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that there is provided a simple yet effective lock mechanism wherein the face plate of the lock may be accommodated to the three standard door edge configurations, namely, right or left bevel or flush. In effecting the adjustment, it is not necessary completely to remove the armor plate from the locking casing, it being sufficient to loosen the screws 23, 24 to the degree required to permit pivoting of the lugs 25, 25 to the desired position.

Since, in effecting the adjustment, the armor and face plates are tilted about an axis which is coincident with the plane of the plates (rather than displaced by a lever arm from such plane), it will be observed that no significant enlargement of the clearances defined in the plates need be provided.

In normal installations, a bevel angle of 355 (right or left) is considered standard. The device of the present invention has the additional advantage of being adaptable to beveled installations of non-standard angles by the simple expedient of providing additional lugs having the desired taper angle.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable mortise type lock assembly adapted to be mounted on doors having right hand or left hand beveled or non-beveled edge portions, comprising in combination, a mortise lock casing having an end face including upper and lower coplanar face portions, a threaded anchor bore extending inwardly from each said face portion and perpendicular thereto, an armor plate mounted over said face portions including a cutout for a latch bolt, said armor plate having spaced retainer apertures in registry with said anchor bores, a threaded retainer screw extending through each of said retainer apertures and threadedly connected to one of said anchor bores, and an armor plate adjustment lug mounted on each of said retainer screws, said lugs being sandwiched between the inner face of said annor plate and a different one of said face portions, said lugs each including a body portion having an aperture received on a retainer screw and a tab portion, the thickness of said lug at said aperture being different than the thickness of said lug at said tab portion, said armor plate being retained in a first angular relation to said casing in the tightened condition of said retainer screws when said tabs are rotated about said screws to lie to one side of a plane extending through the vertical center line of said casing, in a second and opposite angular relation when said tabs are rotated 90 to the opposite side of said plane, and parallel with said face of said casing when said tabs are aligned with said center line.

2. The lock assembly of claim I wherein said lugs are of lesser thickness at said aperture portion than at said tab portron.

3. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the faces of said lugs are flat, whereby said armor plate is nontiltably secured to said casing.

4. The lock assembly of claim 1 and including a face plate in parallel clamped relation against said armor plate in covering relation of said retainer screws. 

1. An adjustable mortise type lock assembly adapted to be mounted on doors having right hand or left hand beveled or nonbeveled edge portions, comprising in combination, a mortise lock casing having an end face including upper and lower coplanar face portions, a threaded anchor bore extending inwardly from each said face portion and perpendicular thereto, an armor plate mounted over said face portions including a cutout for a latch bolt, said armor plate having spaced retainer apertures in registry with said anchor bores, a threaded retainer screw extending through each of said retainer apertures and threadedly connected to one of said anchor bores, and an armor plate adjustment lug mounted on each of said retainer screws, said lugs being sandwiched between the inner face of said armor plate and a different one of said face portions, said lugs each including a body portion having an aperture received on a retainer screw and a tab portion, the thickness of said lug at said aperture being different than the thickness of said lug at said tab portion, said armor plate being retained in a first angular relation to said casing in the tightened condition of said retainer screws when said tabs are rotated about said screws to lie 90* to one side of a plane extending through the vertical center line of said casing, in a second and opposite angular relation when said tabs are rotated 90* to the opposite side of said plane, and parallel with said face of said casing when said tabs are aligned with said center line.
 2. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein said lugs are of lesser thickness at said aperture portion than at said tab portion.
 3. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the faces of said lugs are flat, whereby said armor plate is nontiltably secured to said casing.
 4. The lock assembly of claim 1 and including a face plate in parallel clamped relation against said armor plate in covering relation of said retainer screws. 